LAND VALUATIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7386, 12 February 1902, Page 4

LAND VALUATIONS.

At the Patea County Council meeting on Thursday, the question of Government land valuations came up for discussion. It originated in connection with a circular letter from the Sydenham Borough Council.

Cr Pearoe moved that this Council write supporting the contention of the Sydenbam Council re valuations, and that particulars be sent to the member for Patea with the object of supporting the matter in the House. In doing so, Cr Pearce said he anticipated trouble over the matter. The valuers had doubled the valuations up tbe coast. When they reached Patea district they would probably be one-third more, whilst in Wanganui they would probably be decreased. There were new valuations continually, and the Councils would find they would have to pay more and more for revision. He thought they would find that there would be continual fighting until the present system was repealed.

Cr Biddell, who seconded, said it was a big order, but he thought it would be a pity to go back to the original slate of things, though it would be admitted that in some districts the rating was too high and in others too low. He believed ultimately the cost would be less than now, and the reason he fayored a central department doing it was that there might be a chance of more uniformity, but at the present time it was worse than ever. Cr O. Symes said Cr Biddell appeared to be valuing one district in booming times and carrying the same rule to another district where things were not moving. Cr Biddell said his idea was that all the valuations should be done at the one time.

Cr Van Asch said it was a very large question, and he thought it would he wiser to allow the Department to give it a fair trial without interference. It was impossible to get the valuations exactly right, but they should get as near as possible. To him it appeared that one large body had a better chance of arriving at uniformity than a number of small ones. Further, the Department would become callous to attacks of this kind, and when necessity arose their representations would carry leas weight. He thought it better to withhold criticism until time had proved the benefit or otherwise of it.

Or. Derrett said he would support the resolution. It was not right to give individual cases, but he could give glaring instances of the absurdity of the present system. Would any councillor admit that the present valuations were more even than in the past ? They had, of course, been higher. Be could give instances of a difference of £4 an acre in the valuations of properties of equal value. As to time for testing it, he thought the Department had had long enough. Cr Pearce, in reply, also thought the Government had had time to prove the value of their system or otherwise, for it had been in operation for four years. The cost to the local bodies was three times as much as it should be, and the only lasting thing about it were the charges. In regard to the system, it was supposed that the valuations would be used for the purpose of the Advances to Settlers office, but instead of that, when an advance was under consideration the Department forsook their own valuations and put on a special valuer. Speaking from his own knowledge, he knew of a valuer in a Wellington district who (if there was a special rate of Is in any district) knocked off £1 an acre in that district. He maintained that there was absolutely no uniformity in the systems adopted by different valuers, but the Government baa control over all the values, which was wrong in principle whatever the effect might be. The resolution was carried, only Cr Van Asch recording his vote against. — Press.